Desideratum
by pyrOku
Summary: n. something considered necessary or highly desirable. Namine knew it was rude to stare. Bookshop AU [Namiku]


No way – was the first thought to cross her mind. Her eyes glaze over a book clad in plastic. A book she absolutely had no interest in reading. Of course, it was amongst all the countless others that she had just so happened upon. So many books. So, so many books. Her fingers curl each page; her interest wavers almost on queue. A decent day off is arguably one of the greatest gifts that God himself bestowed upon the Earth. That being if you believe in such a God. She herself just believed in a good day off.

When life seems at its busiest, the quaint bookstore on the corner of Wayde and Celmentine seemed to remedy this predicament. Thus, that is where one would also find Naminé. However, she's not a girl you would find boasting about a classical novel she'd never read while fervently obsessing over her specific interest of Beatnik culture. She simply just liked to read.

Naminé was a quiet achiever who stood five foot six inches. Not overtly timid, while still able to voice what was on her mind. She was simple minded. She didn't mind, so long as one was simple with her. As of currently, she simply couldn't find a decent read; which she seemed to mind quite excessively.

A troubled huff of air snaked through her thin lips. Her ankle began to ache from the unwarranted tap of her impatient foot. While this bookstore often offered as sanctuary, today it was more akin to a chore which became sore from constant neglect. Tucking a wisp of flaxen hair hind her ear, her eyes ripened at the sight of an object of interest. _Finally._

Contrary to popular belief, this object was not a series of pages bound by card with words scrawled atop. Oh no, this was very different. Yet still, her eyes began to swell in its presence. It was probably his eyes that made her look twice. Definitely the eyes. They were the kind one would write books about. Already her own mind was conjuring up possible descriptions. Okay, maybe his eyes weren't that great. But never before did she know that kind of blue existed. Maybe it was green; she was too fixated to differentiate. They peeked through his unkempt, been-growing-this-out-since-8th-grade hair. He wasn't dressed exceptionally well, but his apparel seemed to fit him expertly.

The boy took a seat near the science fiction section on one of those step ladders that always conveniently read 'DO NOT SIT'. She admired the boy, oh she wholeheartedly did. Perhaps he was one of those kids who dyes their hair obscure shades during break, it seems this season's specialty was silver. She was slightly intimidated by him, so much that it almost excited her. There was an aura of spacial dominance about him that she couldn't help but ponder upon. She mentally sighed, pushing the thought away. It's rude to stare, she thought. Exercising the little willpower she had remaining, her eyes glazed back over the book currently wedged between her small hands. Alas, to no avail. She found her greedy eyes wondering the Peculiar Boy again. His angular stature slouched casually in the concave of the shelf. His gaze fixated upon each page of book; inspecting studiously. He flicked between the confines of the paper back novel, Naminé's eyes fell upon the title across the cover. _It's Rude to Stare_, she read. Quickly she averted her gaze. Very Funny. There's no way he would know I'm prying, he just sat down - is what she thought.

"He totally knows." Is what she said.

Placing the book back down onto the shelf, she took three careful steps to the next aisle. She seemed to think that nonchalantly making her way to a different section would not make her guilty of the crime she had so inadvertently committed. She adopted a book with a robotic-like motion into her small hands again, occasionally peering at Peculiar Boy at timed intervals. _Peekaboo, I See You_, read the second title of the novel he had acquired.

"Who even comes up with these book titles?" She breathed. Still, she began to feel on edge. Peculiar Boy was communicating with her through book titles, so she thought. Naminé could safely say that never before had she communicated so indirectly with a really hot guy in her favourite bookstore. But if anyone asked, she could admit that she now has. God, he was so good looking, she didn't even feel any sense of remorse when she looked at him. But then she did. She felt all the remorse. As if one thousand eyes had laid themselves upon her, when in fact it was only one. His gaze stung her skin, she almost felt a physical pain. Whatever this Peculiar Boy charm he was casting, this witchcraft needed to cease.

Again, Naminé decided to withdraw from her current book of interest and conjure up a new plan. Avoid him at all costs. Barely anyone finds themselves in the travel book section, people would rather go to visit the place itself. That was a good place to act completely inconspicuous and avoid the extremely good-looking boy in science fiction – is what she thought.

"Now let's see," She ran her finger along the spines of the books she read aloud "Spain, France, Japan, Australia, Greenland, Egypt…" She felt a mental itch. She felt her greedy eyes wandering, followed by a mental slap. Due to her inconvenient height, she wasn't able to see over the aisle. Shuffling along with book in hand, she glanced back to him, her eyes hungrily waiting. He wasn't there. Of course.

"Excuse me." A voiced graced her ears

"Oh," Was the instinctual sound that left her mouth. At that moment, she was struck by that familiar green/blue/hybrid colour that she craved to look at. "S-Sorry."

"No, you're fine." He chuckled back, reaching for a book just in front of her field of vision. Naminé furiously looked back down to the book in her grasp, slightly shuffling away from him. The familiar warm sensation flared up to her neck, her ears. _Just a peek. _Familiarly she glanced up again, as she had done so many time before that morning. So was he. Naminé had to look over her shoulder several times to clarify that it was indeed her that was experiencing the privilege of being looked at by Peculiar Boy.

"Is it interesting, that book?" He inquired.

Peering down at the book, her mouth began to move. "Yeah, I mean-" Wait. The book was upside down. Flipping it around the correct way with flushed cheeks, she continued. "I-It's nice." She heard a stifled laugh.

"I bet." He added lightly.

Driven by extreme embarrassment, Naminé withdrew the black band from her tied hair, allowing it to fall past her shoulders. Without a proper thought, she took the book within her grasp to the register. $13.85 later, Naminé purchased a book that she didn't even want. Let alone didn't even skim over. Taking the book from the confines of the paper bag, she peered at the cover.

_Just Go For It,_ it read.

She was really on a roll today. Miss Simple Minded Naminé just wasted her money on a book which is more than likely communicating a metaphorical message to her sorry, sorry soul. Spinning on the back of her buckling heel, her greedy eyes fell upon an empty aisle. No Peculiar Boy. No metaphorical message. No money left in her wallet. Naminé placed the paper bag on an empty shelf as she made her sorry, sorry way to the door.

"You left this."

Simple Girl spun back again on her heel, this time out of sheer annoyance.

"You see, I made a mistake. I didn't actually want anything to do with that-" If Naminé had not spun on that trusty heel, then perhaps her day would have turned out quite differently from that exact moment. Peculiar Boy held the paper bag within his grasp, signalling her to take it from him.

"Book." She finished. "I-I mean." She felt a feverish flush burn her exposed neck. She dare not look at him. Not once. Eye contact would signal defeat, and Naminé was not a weak girl. She was simple, but by no means weak. An egotistical curl of his lip signalled his firm grip on the situation. He, too, was not weak.

"I sense hesitation." He seemed to almost purr. Bastard. Naminé should've already foreseen that Peculiar/Egotistical/Bastard Boy would act this way. "I've never seen this book before." He continued to himself. Once again, Naminé felt his gaze penetrate into her skin, her bones. She tried desperately to manoeuvre out of his field of vision. "You did buy this didn't you?" He placed the said object in front of her, signalling her to take it. "I'd be a shame if you'd forgotten it."

With a dubious eye, Naminé took the bag from his grasp.

"Name's Riku." He motioned his hand steadily in front of her. She much preferred Peculiar/Egotistical/Bastard Boy. But perhaps that would be a little tiring to say all the time. It looked like she would have to settle for plain Riku. Such a drab name for such a stern-looking boy.

"Naminé." She hesitantly outstretched her hand in compliance. Were her hands always that small? He flashed his teeth. Even those were perfect. Out of her own insecurity, she ran the flesh of her tongue along her own.

"So is this a hobby of yours?" Riku/Bastard Boy propped one arm atop the other, leaning back in a casual stance. "Leaving books in stores that you rightfully purchased, I mean." His eyes began to flicker with interest. Or perhaps, she thought they did.

"Not exactly," She began "I wasn't really thinking when I bought it." He ran a finger through his unkempt, ghastly hair.

"Ah, a fellow slave to the bookstore, I see." He said breezily "Don't worry, I sometimes feel compelled to buy things here too." Naminé felt herself unravelling toward this Riku/Bastard. That was, until she felt that familiar piercing gaze, warmly accompanied by the burning sensation that rose up to her neck. He flashed his teeth, again. Out of instinct, she squeezed the hem of her dress.

"What?" She queried, raising a brow at Bastard Boy. His grin grew wider, at this point, she was afraid his face would split in two.

"Nothing." His smile grew further. Doesn't his mouth hurt? "But hey, will I see you around here again?" He removed himself from leaning upon the shelf, closing in on the girl. Boy, he was tall.

"Uh," She began "I guess?"

"I mean," his tone deepened "So long as you're not leaving good books lying around here. Or better, reading books upside-down. I could get used to seeing you around, perhaps." Naminé scoffed at his childish remark. Her thought was cut short by a sudden movement.

"Why haven't I ever seen you around here before, Miss Naminé?"

"Excuse me?" If embarrassment and anger ever got together and had a child, it would be Naminé herself at that very moment. Let's not forgot, she was a simple girl. This was breaching all levels of her code of conduct. "Well, I mean. I like to come here on my days off, every so often."

"And so today would be one of those days." He gestured a bow "Which means that luckily for you, it was just the right place and the right time, then." He raised a brow. Not in a suggestive sense, but in a way that suggested he'd done this before.

"Generally I guess, I don't have random strangers approaching me in book stores" She added matter-of-factly.

"And so I guess generally you also: A. read books the wrong way around, B. Leave books which you've purchased, in the store and C. Allow strangers to approach you."

"Who even are you?" Naminé was taken aback by how forward he was. Quite bold and a little outspoken. Probably let all his good looks get to that inflated head of his.

"I told you I'm Riku." He answered with a smile.

"I know that much, you've made quite the impression already." She blew a tuft of her fringe to the side with her breath. She was growing impatient, tired and oddly intrigued.

"I'm sorry, I feel like we've left off on the wrong foot. I guess the only way to remedy this would be to buy you lunch sometime." He peered at his watch on his left wrist. "Let's say about… now's a good time?" He suggested with a curl of his lip.

"What? I- I- I can't do that. I don't even know you." The volume of her voice attracted a few unwanted stares from the fellow readers throughout the store. She lowered her voice to a hush. "I don't even know you."

"Then get to." He held an intense gaze. "Take a lesson from your book, _Just Go For It." _She scoffed, followed by a cough. Followed by a mental slap and a deep furrow of her eyebrows. Her pulse quickened as she even pondered upon the possibility of being somewhere with him. Sure he was insanely attractive and had the largest ego she ever did know, but she was extremely unsure if it was a mature decision to agree with him.

"I couldn't do it." She answered. He released a large breath of defeat, lowering his head as he did so.

"Alright. I guess I can't change your mind." He broke away from her, planting his steps carefully towards his leave. "Farewell, Miss Naminé." And he left. She watched as he left and she felt at ease. That was until she remembered how hungry she was, and how much money she didn't have. Groaning both mentally and physically, she clutched the paper bag and left for the exit. At first she began walking, very slowly and somewhat steadily.

"I'm gonna feel this in the morning." She whispered inwardly. Then she ran. She ran so fast that her legs almost gave in. At this rate, her thoughts would have to struggle to keep up with her legs. She passed faces, buildings, heard conversations, ignored them, passed cars and lights. When she saw that awful head of hair that she thought she hated, she said something she thought she wouldn't.

"Riku, wait." She huffed breathlessly, feeling light headed. As if on queue, he turned to where she stood. Already with that stupid grin painted on his annoyingly handsome face.

"I hope you love sandwiches," He soothed "I know the best place."

Naminé did not like sandwiches. But perhaps now she would grow to like them.


End file.
